How can a gourd be used to make gorgeous artisan jewelry? With the talent of Peruvian artisans, of course. Their tradition of carving gourds goes back thousands of years, and was once a way of relaying information and telling stories. Today, virtually any kind of pattern or design can be found on gourds throughout Peruvian markets. Birds, butterflies, flowers and animals are among the most popular gourd carvings. Others depict traditional dancers, the Amazon jungle, or a series of intricate traditional motifs, like the Carved Gourd Necklace pictured here. I own an entire collection of gourds with all of the aforementioned designs, and I am still amazed when I see a new and creative take on gourd carving. Before carving, the gourds are dried in the sun. This preserves them for decoration purposes and allows for the intricate details that make gourd art so fascinating. Some gourds are cut in half in a zigzag pattern to become little boxes, and others are cut into pieces so the tiny designs can be inlaid into gourd jewelry. These carved gourd necklaces, bracelets and earrings are a very unique form of organic jewelry.
